Balancing Mental Health and Type 1 Diabetes

Taking care of your mental health with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is just as important as managing your blood sugar and taking your insulin.

Statistics show that mental health issues can affect people of all ages living with T1D:

There are also anxieties exclusive to people with T1D, particularly fear of hypoglycemia, which is associated with substandard diabetes management and reduced health outcomes.

Breakthrough T1D is working to address mental health concerns for people living with type 1 diabetes through education, research, and community support.

Breakthrough T1D Mental Health Guide

Thriving with T1D starts with your mental and emotional well-being. Our Mental Health Guide offers information to help you better manage your mental health with type 1 diabetes, including:

• Guidance on coping with the stress of T1D
• Tips on how to deal with the loss of sleep with T1D
• Advice on finding a mental health professional
• A deep dive into the differences between anxiety, depression, distress, and burnout with T1D

Funded Research in Mental Health and T1D

For more than three decades, Breakthrough T1D has funded research that addresses the mental health challenges that can come with T1D, including diabetes distress, eating disorders, and anxiety. Some current Breakthrough T1D-supported studies in this area include:

• Reducing Diabetes Distress Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes
  Exploring whether the combination of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) with telemedicine-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy can help reduce diabetes distress in young adults versus the use of a CGM alone.

• iAct for Eating Disorders in Type 1 Diabetes
  Investigating the use of cognitive behavior therapy with mobile phone-delivered interventions to improve diabetes management and decrease eating disorder symptoms and emotional distress in adolescents and adults living with type 1 diabetes.

• A Hybrid Effectiveness-implementation Trial to Reduce Diabetes Distress in Teenagers
  Testing the effectiveness of a group-based diabetes distress intervention for teens in improving diabetes-specific emotional distress and preventing the worsening of blood sugar management.

T1D Community Support

Voices of T1D

Our new podcast, Voices of T1D, explores what it’s really like to live with type 1 diabetes. Each month, a new episode explores the emotional and social realities of living with T1D, featuring honest conversations with people who navigate it every day.

Community Summits

Breakthrough T1D Community Summits are an educational and networking opportunity for all those impacted by type 1 diabetes. They bring our community together to learn from experts, hear about the latest breakthroughs in research, and build meaningful connections with others who understand the T1D journey.

Local Chapter Support

Your local Breakthrough T1D chapter can also provide valuable support through T1D community connections and events.

Living with the burden of type 1 diabetes can be overwhelming, but you are never alone! Through support, research, and education, Breakthrough T1D is helping to reduce the mental health impact of type 1 diabetes and improve health outcomes for the entire T1D community.